Wondercon 2018: What To Expect & How To Prepare

Wondercon in Anaheim is certainly one of the largest and best conventions to hit the West Coast every single year. It’s called Anaheim it’s home for several years now and with its vicinity to Los Angeles it attracts many stars from your favorite movies and shows as well as several excellent vendors and a whole bunch of excited fans. The event is a mecca of all things geek when it comes to bringing people together and that often leads to intimidation when it comes to going to it or to any con for the first time if one has not already been there previously. With all of this in mind I believe it is the perfect time to not only prepare you for the convention in what there is to do and see, but also give you some friendly basic tips on going to any convention for your first time.

Basic Convention Tips

Some of the most basic practices to follow certainly apply here. These include:

– Shower. Please take care of your hygiene. You would be surprised how often people do not do this at conventions.

– Take Breaks as needed,

– Try to Avoid eating at the convention center seeing as prices can be high.

– Bring Snacks and more importantly water to remain hydrated.

– Be Respectful of Cosplayers. Remember that Cosplay is not consent and those in costume have the right to refuse taking a picture with you or for you. Do not grab or touch anyone without their permission.

– Be respectful of those around you. Everyone is there to have a wonderful time. Do not ruin their fun because you may be in a bad mood.

– Do talk to those around you. Chances are people share the same interests as you and you can have so much fun meeting new people.

– Plan your day accordingly. Depending on whether you are there for all 3 days or 1 it is important to remember that chances are that you will not see everything you want to, but if you plan ahead and choose which things you want to see and do you can make the most out of your convention experience.

– Visit Artist’s Alley. There are some incredible artists making really beautiful and unique pieces of art and they deserve the extra money they make from these conventions.

Wondercon Specific Tips & things To See

There is a plethora of different opportunities to do as well as a large space outside of the Anaheim convention center. I recommend going out to the front and talking with people. Often this is the best area to meet cosplayers and take some awesome pictures. There is also often a line of excellent food trucks that take up space in the nice courtyard so you can easily go to one of those rather than paying for food inside the convention center. In addition to the food, there is the Anaheim Hilton hotel that is right there and they have a small food court, but also a full bar in case anyone wants to unwind after a long day with some alcohol. It’s a fun spot seeing as many of the cosplayers often rest there at the end of the day and it’s a great place to mingle and socialize.

It is a must to see the show floor and to browse the multitude of vendors. Some of them are there promoting their own works and some of them are selling things. These things are often small booths that have some really great crafts. Supporting independent artists and vendors is always a wonderful thing and a big part of the fun with conventions in general. I’ve been going to Wondercon for several years now and it is certainly one of the best shows in that it balances the larger companies like DC with a lot of smaller booths. You get a bit of both the popular and not so popular things, which gives the floor a good variety.

There are signings of some famous people from some of your favorite shows and movies so make sure if you want to do those get in line for those early seeing as those events will often sell out fast. It’s important to be there for those and prepare for raffle events that will randomly select you for signings if you’re in line.

Panels and Events

One of the best things about a convention is going to panels and getting a chance to see and hear from your favorite shows, movies, comics, and everything in between. There is an entire catalogue of events that occur throughout the entire weekend so it is crucial to plan around what you want to see the most.

Some of this year’s highlights include

You can find a full list of events, signings, and everything else HERE.

See You At Wondercon

Wondercon is one my absolute favorite conventions to attend. It has the right mix of high profile talent and independent spirit. It is a perfect convention to go to if you have never been to one before. I hope this quick guide helps you in determining on how to tackle the event so that you get the absolute most out of it. I’ll see you all at the con!